Part 5: ...My Enemy's Enemy
An even longer time ago, in a galaxy just as far away...
Kuci stood on the shuttle pad outside her Dromund Kaas estate, the rain driving nearly sideways at her as a storm raged in the clouds above Kaas city. Whilst the wind howled around her and the rain battered her soft cheeks, she stared with gritted determination at the distant horizon awaiting signs of the pending shuttle arrival. As Kuci stood proud with one arm wrapped tight around the shoulders of her young daughter Crystyl, the child hugged her mother's leg attempting to shield herself from the storm. Crystyl buried her face against her mother's side whilst Kuci's silken robe fluttered furiously in the wind – it's black and deep purple colour accentuating the flashes of lightning from above. Sensing a fear of more than just the elements in her daughter, Kuci knelt down and pulled Crystyl in close to her – wrapping both her arms around the child as she buried her face against Kuci's chest "Crystyl, what is it? What's wrong my child?" Crystyl looked up at her mother through teary eyes; wincing as the rain pummelled her young face "Mommy I don't wanna go to the boarding school!" she protested before burying her face back into Kuci's chest "Now Crystyl, we talked about this. It's the only way for me to keep you safe since I'm now on the Dark Council." "But Mom I..." Crystyl hesitated before continuing her muffled protest.
Kuci gently pushed Crystyl back and looked upon her, the sideways glance Crystyl gave her as she shied away told Kuci all she needed to know. "Oh Crystyl my sweet, this is about your implants isn't it?" Kuci brushed young Crystyl's hair from her face with her finger tips, revealing the subtle cybernetic implant over Crystyl's left eyebrow. Again Crystyl recoiled, clearly shamed by her facial implant. Kuci braced the child with both her hands on the young girl's shoulders and held her firmly "Crystyl Cloud what are our words?" Crystyl shifted uncomfortably for a moment "Crystyl... our words." The young girl turned her big brown eyes up towards her mother's loving face, she focused on Kuci's golden eyes and seemed to share a strength with her mother in that moment "Emotion, yet peace; strength, yet knowledge; passion, yet serenity; victory yet harmony; the force shall free me." Kuci smiled upon her daughter as she again wrapped her arms tight around the young girl "That's my girl." She said with a mother's pride. "Now remember these words my sweet little princess, for they will guide you when you most need it." Crystyl tilted her head to the side slightly as she attempted to comprehend her mother's wise teachings "We feel emotion and draw strength from it, yet we remain at peace within ourselves. We display great strength, yet we temper it with knowledge. We act with passion – trusting our hearts to guide us, yet we maintain our inner serenity. Follow these teachings to victory and harmony will follow."
Still looking up at her mother with a slight confusion, Crystyl did understand their words. She knew it was her mother's own adaptation of the Sith code. It was this fact that made Crystyl uneasy at following the code, since she was not Sith. Not once had she ever shown any degree of force sensitivity, and deep down she felt something of a letdown to her mother for this – though Kuci would have none of it. "Crystyl my sweet, I can't tell you that other children won't try and make fun of your implants, because they more than likely will. But heed our words, and you shall rise above all of them. Remember that you are a Cloud and you will soar like one!" Crystyl smiled up at her mother upon hearing this. Since she was a baby she had loved Kuci's stories of how she – as a Cloud girl – would soar up to the skies and rise to a greatness not yet imagined by others. Kuci once again took Crystyl into her arms, both again smiling as the sound from the engines of the approaching shuttle drew closer.
As the shuttle's engines powered down, the ramp lowered to reveal the waiting figure of Kuci's apprentice – Ashara Zavros. Crystyl's eyes lit up when she recognised Ashara and she ran over towards her "Aunt Ashara! Aunt Ashara!" Crystyl shouted with glee as the young Togruta woman swept the child up into her arms and swung her around "My how you've grown little princess! Soon I won't be able to lift you at all!" Ashara joked playfully. While Crystyl was occupied with Ashara, Kuci's personal pilot – Andronikos – emerged from the shuttle and approached his master "My Lord" He bowed his head in respect of Kuci, more fearful of her now than ever before since she had taken a seat of power on the Dark Council. "Andronikos, once Crystyl is safely at the school I want you to head over to the spaceport and prep the ship for launch." "Where are we heading?" Kuci studied Andronikos for a moment "I'm not yet certain, but the Dark Council is convening shortly and there is a resonance in the Force that makes me believe we are close to learning the truth of the missing Council members." "I sure hope so, all this pressure and suspicion on us is making me twitchy!" "Calm yourself Andronikos, there are few who still associate my arrival on the Council with the disappearance of other Council members; and they have grown so fearful of me now they would not dare move against me." Kuci paused for a moment and looked over towards her daughter, still playing with Ashara "I would however, not put it past them to attempt something against my dear Crystyl. You and Ashara must be vigilant as ever to make sure nothing happens to her." "Don't worry Kuci, we'll make sure she gets there safely – and nobody will know that she's your daughter." Kuci nodded at Andronikos and he knew she had finished giving him instruction; he headed back into the shuttle.
Kuci walked over to Crystyl and Ashara, her apprentice looking up at her smiling as she played with her Master's young daughter "We're all set my Lord" "Thank you Ashara, please... give me a moment" Kuci's gaze fell upon her daughter once more as Ashara quietly turned back towards the shuttle. With the sound of the shuttle's engines powering back up hailing the impending departure, Crystyl looked up at her mother and her briefly enjoyed happiness soon gave way to sadness and a sense of foreboding as she knew it was time to go. Crystyl ran up to her mother with tears forming in her eyes as Kuci swept her up off the floor and wrapped her arms tight around the young girl and they embraced. Crystyl buried her face into her mother's shoulder as Kuci pressed her cheek against Crystyl, holding the child's head firm with her free hand; Kuci could even feel the tears forming in her own eyes as she whispered into her daughter's ear "Whatever happens, know that I love you with all my heart. And one day – when the time is right – you will stand at my side." Crystyl didn't really understand what her mother meant by this, but she clearly understood her mother's love.
Following a brief but tender kiss on the forehead, Kuci handed her daughter to Ashara. While the young woman took the child into her arms, Crystyl's hands remained outstretched towards her mother. Kuci was barely able to fight back the tears as she watched the shuttle ramp close. She winced as she forced her gaze up into the driving rain, watching Crystyl's small face and hands pressed up against the window of the cockpit, then as the engines powered up and the shuttle began its ascent Kuci mouthed the words "I love you".
Aeoni and Mysti huddled down behind a snow-covered rock as they observed the movements outside the base camp of Darth Malgus' rogue Imperial forces. Aeoni knew a defecting Sith Lord was too good to be true, but she never suspected that one could be so devious as to con the Republic forces on Ilum into taking down the last of his opposition. Now however, since showing his true intentions of forging a new Empire in the absence and supposed death of the Sith Emperor, here they were attempting to infiltrate his stronghold and steal one of his stealth ships with the intention of sending a strike team aboard his space station to end Malgus' new Empire before it begins. "Aeoni, how long are we going to stay here? It's so cold I've got frostbite on my... well... somewhere you don't really don't want to get frostbite!" Aeoni smiled at her friends attempt to ease the tension with humour - as was her way for as long as Aeoni had known her "your Lekku?" Mysti smiled, comforted by the fact that Aeoni was relaxed enough to be able to join in the joking. "Don't worry Mysti, this will soon be over - then the fun really begins!" Aeoni said with a wink as she launched herself over the rock and towards the unsuspecting guard patrol - drawing her royal blue and black lightsabers in the process.
The two Jedi carved a bloody path through the unsuspecting Imperial forces operating Malgus' stronghold until they reached an opening further into the converted mining facility. As Aeoni holstered her lightsabers she paused for a moment, looking back over her shoulder "What is it Aeoni?" Mysti clearly could not sense whatever Aeoni thought she could "I'm not sure... it almost feels like... no, it can't be - come on; that ship that landed at the facility ahead is just what we're looking for" The two of them continued forward, fighting their way through the Imperial forces and mercenaries who all seem to have loyally aligned themselves with Malgus and his coup. They forged ahead into what appeared to be a control room for the mining operation, it was strangely deserted when compared to all the bustling areas of the facility they had already passed through. As they walked tentatively towards the centre of the room, Aeoni drew her lightsabers and adopted a defensive stance. None to soon either, since this prompted the Imperial forces to reveal themselves - one by one the Imperial troopers un-stealthed all around the room and trained their weapons on the two Jedi "I've got a bad feeling about this" Mysti whispered in her friends ear as a tall pureblooded Sith entered from the doorway ahead closely followed by what appeared to be a Voss woman "It's about you two got here". Aeoni and Mysti shared a cursory glance as neither of them recognised the Sith. Aeoni switched to an offensive stance, pointing one of her lightsabers directly at the Sith "Whoever you are, I suggest you tell your troops to stand down and turn yourself in to our custody." The man laughed out loud at her boldness as he drew his deep red lightsaber "My dear Jedi, I am Darth Serevin and you are in no position to be making such demands of me. Now if you will not surrender to our superior forces, then may you die with honour."
As the fierce battle with Serevin ensued - the room awash with flashes of purple lightning and alive with the hum of lightsabers - Aeoni noticed that there didn't seem to be as many Imperial troops as she first counted upon entering the room - infact hardly any had so much as fired a single blaster bolt at her while she dueled with Serevin. Ultimately, he was no match for a knight as powerful as Aeoni - much less with such a strong Jedi as Mysti at her side. As Serevin collapsed to the floor - the final breath of life easing from his defeated body, Mysti holstered her lightsaber and began to meditate on the events which had transpired - her way of keeping all the death and destruction in balance within her own mind. Aeoni however, did not holster her lightsabers; as she stood over Serevin's body still trying to catch her breath she again looked back over her shoulder before tightening her grasp on the hilts of her lightsabers "I can sense your presence here Sith - I also sense that I am not the enemy you seek since you took care of all those troopers for us - come out and face me, you've hidden in the shadows long enough!"
Both Aeoni and Mysti looked around the now eerily quiet room as an air of uncertainty swept across them. Before Aeoni knew what was happening, she was swept off her feet and found herself whipping through the air towards a shadowy corner of the room behind where she and Mysti had been standing - barely able to keep her footing as she hit the ground once more with significant force - Mysti watched in awe since she had never before seen somene catch her friend unawares. Aeoni tried to regain her composure and lifted herself to stand tall, but before she was able to react, a hooded figure appeared out of stealth in front of her - Force lifting Aeoni off her feet, the Sith jabbed at her with the resonating tip of a deep purple and black lightsaber. Aeoni barely managed to raise her own lightsabers up in time to intercept the jab - resulting in her being knocked down onto the floor. As Aeoni leapt backwards from her vulnerable position to land by Mysti's side; the Sith boldly stepped forward from the shadows, that deep purple and black lightsaber drawn behind the Sith's body and out to one side - ready to swing at any time.
Both Aeoni and Mysti trained their lightsabers on the approaching Sith who stopped just short of lightsaber reach - her head bowed slightly, obscuring her face "Identify yourself Sith!" Aeoni demanded, narrowing her eyes and staring intently at the Sith in front of her in an attempt to anticipate the unpredictible Sith's next move. As the Sith slowly raised her head and looked straight at her with piercing golden eyes, Aeoni's mouth dropped agape upon the undeniable realisation that her instincts were right "I am Darth Kuci of the Sith Empire - and you are in my way!" With that, Kuci swung her double-bladed lightsaber in a sweeping arc in front of herself, the two Jedi barely managing to jump backwards in time to avoid it. Sensing that Aeoni was deeply troubled by the presence of this Sith - perhaps by the overwhelming strength in the Force that Mysti could now clearly sense in the sith - Mysti charged forwards, reaching out through the Force to hurl a large bulkhead off the wall and at the Sith. Kuci smashed through the bulkhead with her lightsaber - tearing it in half in a sea of sparks - before raising her hands and casting a stream of purple lightning at the approaching Jedi, which stopped her in her tracks. Mysti's body convulsed uncontrollably as Kuci's lightning cast surges of pain throughout her body before she collapsed unconcsious to the floor.
Seeing her friend struck down snapped Aeoni back into the moment; as Kuci walked over to the unconcsious body of Mysti - her lightsaber drawn to the side once more, ready to deliver the killing blow - Aeoni threw one of her lightsabers at Kuci, intercepting her swing before it could hit Mysti. As her lighstaber returned to her waiting grasp, Aeoni leapt clean across the room towards Kuci - a bright flash of light filling the room as their lightsabers met. The two dueled for what felt like an eternity - both equally surprised at meeting an opponent who was clearly their equal in strength. Kuci twirled her lightsaber above her head before bringing it down full force against Aeoni's waiting defense - weakening her stance substantially. Seizing the advantage, Kuci quickly swung again across Aeoni's front - knocking both her lightsabers of her hands and sending them rattling across the icy floor. Already partway kneeling from the powerful blow Kuci had just dropped down on her, Aeoni proceeded to kneel submissively before the Sith, who was taken aback by this unusual action "Why do you refuse to fight me Jedi?" Kuci demanded as she towered over the now serene form of Aeoni "Do you think I will show you mercy?" Aeoni calmly looked up and stared directly into Kuci's golden eyes "You won't kill me Sith. Just as I won't kill you" Still short of breath from the preceding duel, Kuci studied the Jedi for a moment, confused by her statement - yet unable to deny that something, some deep seeded instinct was preventing her from swinging her lightsaber across the vulnerable Jedi. Seeing that Kuci also felt what she felt, Aeoni continued "You sense it too don't you?" returning to her feet, Aeoni stood directly in front of Kuci - the two continuing to stare intently at each other "It's... not possible..." Kuci - clearly caught off guard by what her feelings were telling her - subconcsiously relaxed her body, lowering her lightsaber slightly. "I don't know how either Kuci; but it's true - you didn't die in the seige of Balmorra - you somehow ended up with the Sith, and now here you are; my twin sister."